Food Safety Focus | Listeria

• Share
• Bookmark
• Print
• Email

Hello All! 

I hope this message finds all of you and your families safe and well.

This week I would like to discuss one of the reason we have to stay vigilant with food safety: Listeria.

Listeria (Listeria monocytogenes) is a genus of bacteria named after the famous British surgeon Joseph Lister (1827-1912), who began the much-needed practice of sterilizing operating instruments before operating on his patients.

Listeria likes moisture and can survive refrigeration and even freezing.  Improperly processed deli meats, hotdogs and unpasteurized milk products most commonly cause it.  More recently, the bacteria has been found in produce, like melons and in vegetables, like sprouts and celery.  The bacteria can even be tracked on your shoes, so it can come in from anywhere or anyone.

Listeria infection is a foodborne bacterial illness that can be very serious.  Even though healthy people rarely become severely ill from listeria infection, the disease can be fatal to newborn babies and people with weakened immune systems, like elderly people.  Prompt antibiotic treatment can help curb listeria infection.  Severe cases have a fatality rate as high as 20% with 95% of reported cases needing hospitalization

Listeria symptoms usually start within two weeks after eating food contaminated with Listeria, however they may begin a few days or even a couple months after eating.  Many times people don’t even realize they are carrying this bacteria around until long after they were exposed.  Symptoms may range from fever, chills, muscle aches and diarrhea for the less severe to confusion, changes in alertness, loss of balance, vomiting, difficulty breathing and convulsions in the more serious ones.  During pregnancy, even though the mother may experience mild symptoms, the effects on the baby can be devastating.

We can protect ourselves by following our training to help control any possible exposure to our customers or ourselves.  Avoid cross contamination, follow all temperature guidelines and always use proper hygiene at all times.  Stay vigilant always to ensure safe food for our families.

Thanks, for all that you do every single Day!

Justin
Corporate Food Safety Manager

• Food Safety Focus | Fruitcake
• Food Safety Focus | Food Safety
• Food Safety Focus | Focus on Cotton Candy
• Food Safety Focus | Focus on Trailer Inspections
• Food Safety Focus | Cinnamon
• Food Safety Focus | The Winds of Stress
• Food Safety Focus | National Taco Day
• Food Safety Focus | MHE Safety
• Food Safety Focus | Peanut History
• Food Safety Focus | Pre-Cooled is the Coolest Way to Be
• Food Safety Focus | Marshmallows
• Food Safety Focus | Sanitation
• Food Safety Focus | Wrap It Up Clean
• Food Safety Focus | Focus On Popsicles
• Food Safety Focus | National Hotdog Day
• Food Safety Focus | Apple Turnover Day
• Food Safety Focus | Safety Culture
• Food Safety Focus | National Cucumber Day
• Food Safety Focus | Pet Food Safety
• Food Safety Focus | Asparagus
• Food Safety Focus | Happy Walnut Day!
• Food Safety Focus | Talkin’ Trash
• Food Safety Focus | Hazard Analysis
• Food Safety Focus | Trailer Inspections
• Food Safety Focus | A Place for Everything
• Food Safety Focus | The Right Temperature
• Food Safety Focus | Don’t Stress
• Food Safety Focus | Seals
• Food Safety Focus | I Love It When A Plan Comes Together!
• Food Safety Focus | Baby Formula News
• Food Safety Focus | Space Food
• Food Safety Focus | I Love It When A Plan Comes Together!
• Food Safety Focus | Focus On Taking Time Off
• Food Safety Focus | No Added Flavor Needed
• Food Safety Focus | Focus
• Food Safety EXTRA | The Turkey Prince
• Food Safety Focus | Doors & History
• Food Safety Focus | Keep Common Sense Common
• Food Safety Focus | Gourmet Coffee Legend and History
• Food Safety Focus | EMA
• Food Safety Focus | New Allergen – Sesame
• Food Safety Focus | Food Poisoning
• Food Safety Focus | Cell Based Meat
• Food Safety Focus | No Waste is a Tasty Idea!
• Food Safety Focus | Floors
• Food Safety Focus | Hand Washing Culture
• Food Safety Focus | Falling Cases
• Food Safety Focus | Turkey Myths
• Food Safety Focus | Root Cause Analysis
• Food Safety Focus | Chemicals
• Food Safety Focus | Focus on Drips
• Food Safety Focus | Freezer Gear Housekeeping
• Food Safety Focus | Eat and Drink in the Right Place
• Food Safety Focus | Food Safety During the Storm
• Food Safety Focus | High Quality H20
• Food Safety Focus | Who is Responsible for Food Safety?
• Food Safety Focus | Baby Food & Avoiding Toxic Metals
• Food Safety Focus | MHE Impact
• Food Safety Focus | Kill Step
• Food Safety Focus | MHE Inspections
• Food Safety Focus | Product Weight Limits
• Food Safety Focus | Awareness Part 2
• Food Safety Focus | Awareness Part 1
• Food Safety Focus | FDA Reported Listeria Outbreak
• Food Safety Focus | Listeria
• Food Safety Focus | Hot Dogs
• Food Safety Focus | Recall Classes
• Food Safety Focus | Mock Recall – Getting Started
• Food Safety Focus | Don’t Cause a Recall
• Food Safety Focus | Product Hold
• Food Safety Focus | Labels and Recalls
• Food Safety Focus | Allergen Update – Sesame Seeds
• Food Safety Focus | Ceilings
• Food Safety Focus | Floors
• Food Safety Focus | Damage Control
• Food Safety Focus | Pest Control
• Food Safety Focus | Dumpster Duty
• Food Safety Focus | Standing Water
• Food Safety Focus | Wrap Care
• Food Safety Focus | Foreign Matter
• Food Safety Focus | See Something, Say Something
• Food Safety Focus | Pallet Identification
• Food Safety Focus | Tunnel Vision
• Food Safety Focus | Super Bowl Safety
• Food Safety Focus | Receiving Temps
• Food Safety Focus | Food Safety Attitude
• Food Safety Focus | MHE
• Food Safety Focus | Pallets, Racks & Racking
• Food Safety Focus | Security
• Food Safety Focus | Hand Washing Importance
• Food Safety Focus | Holiday Food Safety
• Food Safety Focus | Accurate Record Keeping
• Food Safety Focus | Importance of Training
• Food Safety Focus | Thermometer Checks
• Food Safety Focus | Allergen Storage
• Food Safety Focus | Pest Control
• Food Safety Focus | PPE
• Food Safety Focus | Food Safety Culture